Speak the words “logo slap” in any advertising meeting and a hush will fall over the room. Laptops will go up in flames. Women and children will flee.
I was actually nervous to put those words in writing as if doing so would cause the heads of every CMO in the country to explode “Kingsmen: Secret Service” style. As if saying “logo slap” was akin to saying “Voldemort”. Wow, two different movie references in one paragraph – you usually have to pay extra for that level of content!
Anyway, I think it’s time we stop demonizing the logo slap. Somewhere along the line, the phrase logo slap became synonymous with lazy or uncreative. And yet I can’t help but feel that this association comes strictly from a place of insecurity or a need to be seen as a creative genius.
It’s time we prioritize strategy over our own egos. There’s next to no value in pushing a “creative” idea that no one will see over attaching your brand to content that will be seen by the masses. We’re in the eyeballs game. Awards for cool ideas are nice but making an actual impact on business is what actually matters.
I don’t want my overall point to get misconstrued though. I am a big proponent of thinking outside the box to come up with new and inventive ideas. I just don’t want marketing teams to pass on big sponsorship opportunities because of the negative perception. So here’s what I propose: The Stadium Slap.
There is no logo slap that has been more successful than the naming rights of a sports arena. Brands such as Staples and Wrigley have become so synonymous with their stadiums that it’s easy to forget that they are even brands in the first place. Following this strategy, on a smaller scale obviously, my belief is that brands should constantly be looking to attach themselves to content that they believe has the potential to be huge and not worry too much about being so heavy handed.
